


Time for a Chain Reaction

by thewitchofgeek (orphan_account)



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: (hello it's bill fucking cipher it's going to be messed up), Dark Dipper Pines, Fucked Up, M/M, Manipulative Relationship, NB! Bill Cipher, Older Dipper Pines, Slow Burn, tags will be added as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-31 21:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3994216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/thewitchofgeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper came back from that summer changed.  It didn't escape the notice of his family back in Piedmont, California.  As the years passed, his family grew more and more concerned, considering committing their son.</p>
<p>In exchange for some memory modification and just desserts to those who S̶̡͞H͘O͏̴̛U͡҉̀L͝D̡ ͠HĄ̛͡V̢E̢ ̶͝͡B͘ÈE̡N̕͞ ͘͡NĮ̀́C̛҉ÉR̵̢, a safe is broken into and the world is irrevocably changed because of it.</p>
<p>(Because there needs to be more Dark!Dipper, slow descents into madness, slow burns, and relationship development in the fandom.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pay the Price of Freedom

By the time Dipper Pines turned seventeen, his life drastically changed. It would be fair to say that most of it was due to the yearly summer visits to Gravity Falls.

Hushed conversations and concerned glances from his parents had escalated into checking out pamphlets about schizophrenia and delusional behavior. Behind locked doors, his parents looked into "boarding schools" that would "take his mind off of such nonsense as the paranormal".

Dipper may have been singleminded, paranoid, and socially awkward, but he was in no way oblivious. His parents were considering having him committed to a low-risk facility.

Talking to his sister was out of the question entirely, their relationship had steadily deteriorated since the Portal incident when they were twelve. His parents were too firmly rooted in their reality of picket fences, two kids, two cars, and nine-to-five jobs. The only reason he was still even on speaking terms with his Grunkle and oddly-young grandfather was so that he could return during the summers.

There was nobody he could trust. The journal had been right.

The Journal. It finally dawned on Dipper that there might be something in there to help, be it a memory-altering incantation or a creature of some sort that could be summoned.

Dipper poked his head out of his room and glanced around. The coast was clear, his parents were nowhere to be seen. Ducking back in, he locked the door and scrambled to the loose floorboard by the foot of his bed, lifting it up. Inside a small hollow was a familiar leather-bound journal, complete with well-worn edges.

Dropping the book onto his bed, Dipper set to work replacing the floorboard, the movements long since having been committed to muscle memory.

He dusted his hands off on his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through the pages. No incantations, but that wasn't surprising. Stanley Pines simply didn't have the aptitude for the arcane arts that his grandson did. The database of creatures was just as useless, unless he wanted to... No. No, he wouldn't, Dipper decided, shaking his head decisively. Under no circumstances would he summon Bill Cipher.

But the idea was quickly becoming his last chance at freedom. At this realization, Dipper flung his head into his pillow, screaming in frustration.

If his eyes had been uncovered, Dipper might have been more prepared for what was to come next as the world turned monotone.

"Got yourself in a bit of a pickle, huh, Pine Tree?"

The color rapidly rushed from Dipper's face. This had the potential to be the Sock Opera incident all over again. No, he would not acknowledge the dream demon in the room. The flying dorito was not in his room. This was an auditory hallucination, there was no way that Bill Cipher could possibly be here-

A poke on the back from what was most likely a cane snapped Dipper out of his denial. Reluctantly lifting his head, he narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "What do you want, Cipher?" he hissed.

Dipper was never quite sure how the dream demon managed to convey a smirk with only a voice and one eye, but xe certainly managed it.

Floating higher as to avoid any possible pillow-based projectiles, Bill audibly smirked. "Came to offer you a deal, but if you're going to be like this..." xe stated, trailing off purposefully.

Panic flashed through Dipper's mind. Was there any other way to salvage the situation at home? The drop in his stomach answered that with a resounding 'NO'. Dipper slounched slightly, defeated.

"I thought so, kid." Xe paused for dramatic effect. "I'm here to make an offer. I make it so your parents leave you alone, and when you leave for Gravity Falls in a month, you unlock a safe for me. Four little buttons, and you're free."

Dipper was conflicted. This would solve his dilemma, but was unleashing whatever was inside that safe to Bill Cipher worth it?

The demon rolled xir singular eye. "If it helps, I'll even tell you that you're not even stealing anything by breaking into the safe. You're actually enacting vigilante justice in a way. What's inside is stolen property, and the owner needs it back."

Shaking his head furiously, Dipper stood up. "I need to know what it is. I'm hardly going to shake on a deal that I don't know won't bite me in the ass."

The demon glanced over approvingly. "Inside that safe are two things, only one of them necessary. One is a file, and the other, what you're looking for, is a container with nothing inside it. You won't be unlocking a doomsday device, kid. You're unlocking a safe that's holding specialized tupperware." Internally, Bill shuddered. Talking about that in such simplified terms didn't sit easily, but hey, if it worked...

"You won't kill my parents, you'll just make them stop caring about my interest in the supernatural from now on. Those are my terms," the teen stated flatly, sticking out his hand.

If Bill's form had possessed a mouth, Dipper would have been privy to the world's most smug grin. “I suppose that I COULD make them think that you're normal..." xe started, trailing off. Dipper's eyes narrowed. Shit. Xe was losing the audience. "Thing is, I can make that offer better! I mean, wouldn’t it be funny if they couldn’t avoid the very thing that they want to lock you away for?“

A distrusting glare from Pine Tree and a lowered hand. "What's the catch, there has to be one."

Checkmate, xe thought. "Ha. Not that much of one. You just have to read that file."

Sitting back down on the bed, Dipper considered the offer. He just had to unlock a safe and read a file to get his revenge? This was more than fair on his end. A dark grin spread over Dipper's face as he once again extended his hand.

Looking at Dipper appraisingly, Bill had to admit, xe liked what the teen had become. Xir hand alit with blue flame and xe clasped Dipper's outstretched hand.

"Deal."


	2. Highly Specialized Tupperware

As time passed, more and more weight sat in Dipper's heart. What had he agreed to? Would he be forced to hurt anyone to get into the safe? Was the safe guarded? Was he going to get caught breaking into wherever the safe was?

It was questions like these that plagued Dipper during the bus ride to Gravity Falls and during the next few nights of his stay. Was he supposed to summon Bill or would Bill tell him what he needed to know when it was convenient for them?

On the fourth night in Gravity Falls, Dipper's questions were answered. Unfortunately, they were answered at 12:00 AM, and Dipper was already mentally exhausted, not to mention, ready for bed.

"It's time for your end of the deal, Pine Tree. Get up. Haven't got all night."

Dipper was about to pull his hair out by the roots in frustration. In his honest opinion, it was too late to deal with Bill's bullshit - but regardless, he obliged, putting on his shoes. "You still haven't told me where the safe is, Cipher."

"The Author's Bunker. You must have passed that thing at least three times when you last went in."

What. Dipper stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you seriously just say that I need to go to the AUTHOR'S BUNKER?" he hissed. "Do you know how many traps there are? A little warning would have been appreciated!"

"Kid, you made a deal. It's your bed you're lying in," the demon stated drily, rolling xir eye.

Admittedly, the demon made a fair point. "Fine," he huffed, grabbing a backpack and his sister's grappling hook. Hopefully she would remain asleep. "You'll still have to tell me the code, though."

\- - -

'Never. Again.' Dipper swore as he avoided yet another trap.

"Take a left and it'll be on your right in twenty feet."

"Holy shit," Dipper whispered. "How did I miss this?"

'This' hardly resembled a safe. A fifteen by fifteen by fifteen foot cube of some unknown metal lie in front of him, The only ornamentation a slight groove (presumably a door) and a keypad.

Dipper walked slowly around it. How big was this container that Bill wanted anyway?

"1-5-4-2," Bill interrupted, tapping xir cane impatiently against xir side.

"Hmm?" the teen replied absently, still fascinated.

"The code, Pine Tree. It's 1-5-4-2." A pause. "It'll be in a crate. Keep it in there. I doubt it's too heavy, last I remember, the contents were pretty lightweight."

Hesitantly, Dipper input the code. Out of the safe came the sound of a seal breaking, dust dislodging itself as the door cracked open.

Inside was dim, but the teen could make out the outline of a crate and a file on top. Wedging himself against it, Dipper pushed with all his might. The crate moved surprisingly easily for how large it was. A few good shoves, and the box was out of the safe.

"Okay, so now what," Dipper asked, annoyed.

Bill was focused on the box, obviously looking for something. "You just grab that file and reseal the safe. Me? I'll be checking to see what damage Stanford did," the demon said, slipping between the cracks of two planks.

"Good. He didn't touch it," a much less echoed voice stated, clearly relieved. "Stand back, Pine Tree!" xe continued gleefully.

Out of the ensuing explosion emerged a tall, decidedly masculine figure wearing a goldenrod waistcoat and vest, a black button-up, what appeared to be black breeches, and oh lord, were those... Dipper gulped, eyes dilating slightly. They were. Black knee-high boots with golden stiletto heels able to kill a man. Tan skin, blonde hair that swooped down to cover the left eye, and what eyes they were - golden sclera and a catlike pupil. The angles of the body looked like they could cut diamond.

"Oh it is good to be back," a familiar voice mused from inside the body in front of him. "I missed this feeling."

The teen was stunned. This was not at all what Bill had said. "That's not a container. That is not what I signed up for," he yelled as he scrambled away.

A chilling gaze swept over him. "Can't exactly work optimally in your world without a husk, kid. It's a fake, a simulacra. It's just a soulless dummy, like a marionette that only a demon could operate. It's tupperware for a soul. Highly. Specialized. Tupperware," xe stated, grinning. "By the by - you're on your own getting out."

Dipper let out an indignant squawk at that.

"Unless you want to make a deal for help out..." xe trailed off. At Dipper's silence, xe continued. "Yeah, I didn't think so. I'll be going then, and remember! I҉͜'̡͡L͘L̴̴ K̴ŃOW͜͞ I̛F ̀Y̕OU̴ ͞DI̵D͏N̷͠'̸̧͟T ͘͟͞R̀͝É̡͡A҉̨Ḑ̀ ̧T̛́͡HE̛ ͜͞F͢I̸̧̛L̵E̢̕.҉." At this, Bill vanished, leaving Dipper alone in the dark room.

The teen sighed. Tonight was going to be a long night, he thought, beginning the journey back.


	3. In Which A Grappling Hook Is Used

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, folks, but the ball's actually starting to roll now, plot wise.

Dipper wasn't wrong about the length of the night.  Cursing himself, the teen began to regret not taking the deal that would allow safe passage.  Stopping to catch his breath, Dipper pulled off his backpack, taking out the file.  
  
Flipping through it, several phrases popped out at the teen.  
  
"In exchange for help with the Portal, I'm allowing my associate to absorb fifteen years of potential energy alongside one use of said device.  A rather small price to pay for one's name in history."  
  
"Some of the townsfolk seem uneasy around my associate.  I can't understand why, they've been nothing but helpful to me.  Do they know something I don't?"  
  
"I'm terrified.  I've been having these dreams of things going terribly wrong, of Fids dying, of Ford dying.  I'll have to have a talk with Cipher about this."  
  
"Cipher says nothing's wrong, that the dimensional leak from the portal can cause instability."  
  
"V qtj'a tknzx yfcszr ogutokx.  P'zc tiiz gcez ahtm Jmnziv uf rtjnekhbw, rzex fusr wye iehrlark fb rxoarhr alc osvxq ol sl kghd mr.  Llik uooa iexg hgrark uaqkahsbgnpw kigdrhbrl auhbx uzex fusr clt hna sd xmjfrsg ulakl vj cfivsl.  W wku't mapri llef gvxu'ye whpre llme wilp ao ux h gpqtxup oloooex.  Zskwxluau'l yvmbgn.  Wmeixtvbz xpg.  NOTWHATTHEYSEEM vig"  
  
"Fvhc'cx xmlrr.  B fvlrv B'hs imrndsg sfm fvhmc zmah.  Xsxk kdre ma flt eaq rlqpgewrrd, ma gsvptp hki ctzuh sq mts vyaxdbdxfkmz.  Wllm'e kkee mtslv aemb lw.  Eaqm qipw fvh iyxdub xz iakhv tm, fc petgfolr eaqwu tzluhlsy.  Ugh L lloq o splg, mbg Jzkp wv sy uaouh hbfv lx.  T fmm kegx xcvx eaagh jtyfshr jxmfv, ffm xwni sxxz L'pw ygqn sgxd hki hhdzg.  MODELT vig"  
  
Vig?  It dawned on Dipper that the author of the file was indicating that this was written in the Vigniere Cipher.  The capital letters next to the tell must have been the keys.  
  
A new hand penned the next entry.  A familiar hand.  
  
"Lee was a damn fool.  Shouldn't have made the deal.  Hell, at least the plan worked.  Hopefully the seal leaves the bastard unable to get in that fake body of his."  
  
Dipper carefully placed the papers back in his bag.  His grandfather made a deal and something happened on his end.  He needed to decode those passages.  
  
But he'd have to get out first.  
  
At this, Dipper let out a long, disappointed sigh.  Looking at his phone, the time read 3:00 A.M.  He had three hours to get out, decode the file, and hide the file somewhere Grunkle Stan and Mabel wouldn't find it.  
  
A breeze blew in, startling the teen from his reverie.  Wait.  A breeze?  Dipper turned his head towards the source, which was a surprisingly large hole in the ceiling.  A grin spread over his face.  Perhaps grappling hooks were necessary to an adventurer, he acquiesced, shooting it at a protruding bar and rapelling upwards.  
  
It took some time, some rope burns, and not a small amount of bruises to get out of the bunker.  Dipper glanced at the display on his phone.  4:05 A.M.  He needed to hurry.

* * *

 

'I really shouldn't have hurried,' Dipper thought a mere thirty minutes later as his legs began to cramp.  He was still thirty minutes away from the Shack, and wow, were legs supposed to feel like the unholy fusion of pincushions and jello?  
  
Powering through the pain and discomfort, the teen hobbled back to the Shack, making his way to his room.  It was a miracle that he didn't make more noise than he had, Dipper marveled as he booted up his laptop, preparing to decode the papers.  
  
A mere thirty minutes later, Dipper's face was slack.  How much of the story was yet to be uncovered? the brunet wondered, face blank.  
  
It made him wonder what else the Journal didn't tell him.

* * *

From a seedy bar in Perth, a familiar figure smirked as xe sipped on a margarita.  "Checkmate, Pines," xe murmured.  "Bet you wished you hadn't documented everything now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't trust anyone anymore. I've been told that Cipher is dangerous, that they are planning to destroy the world as we know it. They have been acting increasingly secretive about what they get out of fifteen years of energy. I don't think that they're doing this just to be a cryptic asshole. Something's coming. Something big.
> 
> They're lying. I think I've figured out their game. They want to rip the dimensions, to spread the range of the supernatural. That's what their plan is. They need the energy to power it, to maintain their position. But I have a plan, and Ford is on board with it. I may have lost those fifteen years, but like hell I'll fuck over the world.


End file.
